Tide motor



oa. zo, 1925. i 1,551,787

F. D. TAYLOR TIDE'MOTOR Filed Oct. 2f?, 1921 5 heets-Sheet 1 MENU ifi@ w 113W Oct. 20, 1925. 1,557,187

F. D. TAYLOR 'uw moron Filed oct. 22, 1921 s'sneats-sxmt a Wl TNESSES INVENTOR Eede/Zai yfar Oct. 20, 1925.

F. D. TAYLOR TIDE MOTOR Filed Ot. 22, 192'1,

lll l' l Patented Oct. 20, 1925.

UNITED STATES FREDERICK D. TAYLOR, OF CRANSTON, RHODEISLAND.

TIDE Moron.

Application filed October 22, 1921. Serial No. 509,494.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FREDERICK D. TAYLOR, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Cranston, in the county of Providence and State of Rhode Island, have invented anew and Improved Tide Motor, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to a tide motor and aims t0 provide certain new and useful improvements in connection with a device of this character.

More particularly this invention is predicated to the provision of improvements upon my prior Patent #1047591 of December 17, 1912. It has been found in connection with the structure suggested in the patent referred to that certainv difficulties have been experienced with reference to the mounting of the turbine members.

Vith this in mind my present invention aims to provide a tidemotor, and the primary object of this invention is the mounting of the turbines by means of whichV any objections incident to this structure lwill be avoided. l

A further object of this invention is the provision of a device of the nature stated in which the'general construction shall be improved and simplified in a manner hereinafter more fully brought out.

Still other objects of this invention will appear inthe annexed specification taken in connection with the drawings which latter illustrate one practical embodiment of the same and in which: f

Figure 1 is a plan view of my improved type of tide motor.

Figure 2 is a sectional side view thereof and taken along the line 2-2 and in the direction of the arrows indica-ted in Figure 1, and

Figure 3 is a transverse sectional e-nd view taken along the line 3 3 and in the direction of the arrows also indicated in Figlure 1.

8 in communication with the channel 5. The

flow of water through these openings may be controlled by anyv suitable type -of valve', but it will be notedthat I preferably utilize gate valves 9 which conveniently provide 60 racks 10 adapted to be engaged bypinions 11, mountedupon a shaft 12 so that u py n the latter being rotated, the valves 9 will be caused to close. Also inthis connection it is to be notedthat `themovement of these valves is perfectly synchronized by utilizing a main driving shaft 14 which transmits motion to a second shaft 15, thelatter being coupled by means of gearing 16, to eachof the shafts 12. Y I Y Thus upon the operator turning the shaft 14 associated with either wall 7 it will be obvious that he may adjust the flow of water through thc openings S with that degree of nicety which is required to insure perfect operation of the'motor. j

vAttention is now invitedto Figure 3 `in` which the motor is illustrated in detail, and it will be seen that this motor preferably in'- cludes a buoyant member such as a barge 17 80 capable of receiving aballast 18. Secured to this member are conduits 19 constitutingspill-ways and mounted adjacent the upper end of each of these conduits are turbine wheels 20 secured to a shaft 21, the latter 85 carrying any suitable type and size of gearing 22, which, meshing with a gear 23 will j serve to operate the latter when thewheel 20 is revolved. 7

It will be obvious, reference being had to Figure 3, that the water may flow over the upper edge of one side of conduits 19 and through the wheels 2O associated therewith, thus operating the same 4subsequent to which water will pass through thebodies of the conduits below the barge 17 and so through the openings 8 in the wall 7 It will be seen that the bargev 17 is formed with openings through which screw? threaded shafts 24 extend, the said bargehaving 100 any desirable type of nut 25sccured'to its body, which nuts are engaged one by each y ofthe shafts 24 thus serving to adjust the barge upon the `shafts being rotated. j

AA rotation of these shafts is accomplished by utilizing gearing 26V of any preferred type the movement of the said' shafts vbeing synchronized by a drive 27.v The `motor 128 transmits motion to the gearing 26, and thus it will be seen that an operation of the motor will result in a simultaneous rotation of all the shafts 211 anda corresponding movement on the part of the barge 17 it being further noted that the said shafts 24 will act as guiding elements to the Abarge to* help to guide it up and down'as the tide rises and falls. The screw threaded shafts 24 pass through a frame 32 and have suitable bearings on the foundation of the wall 7 as shown more particularly in Figure 3. These shafts are used to ladjust. when necessary the level of the barge l17 and barges 31l which are rigidly connected to the ends of barge 17.

"The motor may be utilized to drive any suitable form ofmechanism butin the embodiment illustrated the gearing 23 is secured to the shaft 29 which is mounted in bearings on the barges 31, p the Abarges t being movable in wells 33 formed by walls 34. 'The walls 3-1 are rectangular in shape and are connected to the opposite ends of the parallel walls 7. f

Generators 30 are coupled to the ends of the shaft 29 whereby said generators are operated by the said shaft. The frame work 32 is located above the barge 17 and is supp'ported in position at the upper ends of the vertical rods 35V which pass through the openings in the barge 17 and are rigidly connected with the foundation of the. wall 7. These rods 35 not only support the frame. 32 in elevated position but act as guides for the barge 17 and the barges 31a during the vertical movement of said barges. It is to be noted that the frame 32 is stationary while the barges 17 and 31a move relative to the vstationary framework and are guided thereby rso that the wheels 20 will get the full power from a thirty foot tide when the barges carry said wheels and the motors up 4or down upon the guide rods 35.

The conduit 19 being disposed longitudir`nally to and forming part of the barge 17 will be moved vertically with the barges and always have the same definite relation with the wheelsl 22 for controlling the flow of water outside of the wall 7 through the conduits 19 and either of the openings 8 at the bottom of said wall. v

' The operation of' my `device is as follows: As shownl more particularly in Figure 3, water passes over the outer edge of the conduit 19, through the wheels 20, operating said wheels, gear 23, shaft 29' and generators 30 operatively connected with the opposite ends of the shaft 29. The water passes downwardly through the conduit 19 below the barge 17 through the gates 8in kthe wall 7 lwhichl is opposite to the wheels foundation of the Wall 7. vof the motor 2S merely serves the purpose The barges as has been stated are guided in their movement by the` verticalrods 35 connected at their upperen'ds tothe .stationary frame 32 and at the other end to the The operation of adjusting the level of the barge 17 and likewise the barges 31a. i

Cleats 410 are secured tothe walls 34 of the wells 33 at points where the walls 7 are joined to the walls 311. These cleats extend over the water wheels 20, with the inner free ends of said cleats being perforated to receive the guide rods 35 and are for the purpose of bracing the upper end of said rods.

Thus all of the objects set forth in the preamble of this specification have lbeen accomplish'ed and it will further ,bei understood that numerous modifications of structure might readily be `resorted to without in the least departing from lthe scope 0f my claimsgwhich are; f

1. A tide motor including a pair of spaced walls, al movable mounting arranged 'between said walls, motor wheels carried by said mounting, openings formed inv said mounting, screw threaded shafts extending through said openings, means for rotating said shafts, and means associated with said mounting and operatively connected with said shafts whereby rotation of the 'shafts adjustably positions the mounting.

` 2. A tide motor including a pair of spaced walls, a movable mounting arranged be- Y tween said walls, motor wheels carried by mounting,l screw threaded shafts extending through said openings, means for rotating said shafts, means associated Vwith said mounting and. operatively connectedfwith said Vshafts lwherebyA rotation of the shafts adj'ustably positionsl the mounting, and means Vfor synchronously rotating said shafts.

3. A tide motor mounting including a pair of spaced wallspa barge mounting movably positioned between said walls, said barge being formed with openings, nutsadjacent the lower ends of said openings, a.

plurality of screw threaded shafts extending through said openings and engaged by said nuts, motors carried by said barge and means for rotating said shafts.

4. A tide motor including a pair of spaced walls, a frame extending between said walls, rods attached to said frame, a movable motor mounting also positioned between said walls, motors carried by said mounting, said mounting being formed with openings, said rods extending through said openings, and acting as guides.

5. A tide motor including a pair of spaced walls, hollow piers adjacent the ends of said walls, said piers each providing a well, a

frame extending between said walls, a'

mounting slidably mounted upon said frame, motors carrie-d by said mounting, extended portions forming a part of said frame and lying within said wells, elements adapted to be driven carried by said extended portions, and means for connecting said motors with said elements.

6. A tide motor including a pair of spaced walls, extensions of said walls forming wells, a barge movable between said spaced walls, barges connected to the ends of the first mentioned barge and movable in the extensions of said walls, conduits carried by the iirst mentioned barge, motors mounted at the upper ends of said conduits, and means for guiding the barges in a vertical movement.

7. A tide motor including a pair of spaced walls, extensions of said walls forming wells, a barge movable between said spaced Walls, barges connected to the ends of the'rst mentioned barge and movable in tlie exten-V sions of said walls, conduits carried by the first mentioned barge, motors mounted at the upper ends of said conduits, means for guiding the barges in a vertical movement, and means for adjustably positioning the barges.

8. A walls, barges mounted for vertical movement between said walls, motors carried b said barges, and means for adjustably positioning the barges vertically.

9. A tide motor including a pair of spaced walls, barges mounted for vertical movement between said walls, motors carried by said barges, means for adjustably positioning the barges vertically, and generators carried by said barges and operatively connected with the motor.

l0. A tide motor including a pair of spaced walls, barges mounted for vertical movement between said walls, motors carried by said barges, means for adjustably positioning the barges vertically, and conduits carried by said barges and located in alinement with the motors.

FREDERICK D. TAYLOR.

tide motor including a pair of spaced 

